Today’s Always Uplifting Verse and Devotional to start your day off right!

Longing Less, Living More

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Psalms 107:8-9 — Let them praise the LORD for His great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them. For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Summer is both my favorite and my least favorite season.

I love the sun… but sometimes it feels unbearable.

I love the sand… but I hate how it sticks to everything.

I dream all year about sitting by the pool with a cold slice of watermelon, but when it finally comes—I’m hot, sticky, and already thinking about fall.

We spend so much time longing for what’s next that we don’t fully enjoy what’s right in front of us. Summer turns into fall, fall into winter, and we keep chasing the next feeling, the next season, the next moment that will finally satisfy us.

But it never quite does.

There’s always a small part of us still longing.

And if we’re honest, the problem isn’t the season—it’s the belief that something else will finally fill what only God can.

That’s the amazing thing about following Christ. Our deepest longing has already been met. We are not waiting for His love, presence, or promise. It’s already here.

Sure, we wait patiently as His plans unfold. But we are not waiting on His heart.

His love is already ours. His presence is already with us. Right here, right now.

He is the kind of God who doesn’t just notice empty places—He fills them. He’s the one who meets our real thirst with something that actually satisfies, deep down where nothing else seems to reach.

And when we begin to live from that truth, everything else starts to fall into place.

We can enjoy summer without needing it to be perfect and look forward to fall without wishing away today.

We can sit in the in-between—the longing and the having—and still feel at peace. Because the greatest desire of our souls isn’t something we’re chasing anymore. It’s something we already have.

So maybe today looks like this:

Feeling the sun and letting it be warm, not overwhelming. Laughing at the sand instead of fighting it. Eating the watermelon and actually enjoying it.

Not because everything is perfect—but because the One who satisfies us never changes.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What “next thing” have you been looking to for satisfaction lately?
  • Have you found yourself wishing away your current season instead of embracing it?
  • In what ways has God already met needs in your life that you sometimes overlook?
  • What does it mean to you that God’s presence is already with you right now?
  • How can you practice gratitude for the season you’re in instead of constantly looking ahead?
  • What is one simple blessing you can enjoy today as a gift from God?
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Running Home to Rest

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Psalm 91:1 — Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

The alarm goes off, and your thumb hits snooze before your eyes ever open.

Then you hit it again…and again…and again.

At some point, you stop counting because counting would ruin your day.

You tell yourself you’ll go to bed earlier tonight.

But somehow, that doesn’t always happen.

Because that is the rhythm now. You call it “winding down,” but your mind never really does. You don’t sleep—you scroll, replay conversations, and answer texts that could’ve waited until morning.

And eventually, it catches up.

Researchers have found that even one night of very little sleep can increase stress hormones and leave your body feeling more anxious and on edge. Your heart works harder. Your mind feels foggier. Everything seems heavier.

But even a short nap or a season of intentional rest can help your body recover and reset.

That’s the power of rest.

And maybe that’s what this means for you and for me: rest isn’t laziness.

It’s repair.

God designed our bodies with a reset button, and sometimes that reset looks less like grinding harder and more like closing your eyes.

I know we live in a world that glorifies burnout, but maybe that’s why rest can be such an act of faith.

Because Scripture paints a picture of someone who isn’t striving or scrambling. They’re dwelling in the shelter of the Most High. They’re resting in His shadow.

They rest not because life is easy, but because God is safe.

Trust that God is still holding everything together even when you’re not.

And if that’s true…

Then maybe rest isn’t something to feel guilty about.

It’s something to run home to.

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What has been stealing your rest lately—busyness, worry, distractions, or something else?
  • Do you view rest as a gift from God or something you have to earn?
  • What would it look like to trust God enough to slow down this week?
  • How does Psalm 91:1 change your perspective on where true rest is found?
  • What is one practical way you can create space to rest in God’s presence today?
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When Joy Fills Rooms

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Psalm 70:4 — But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

The room is loud before the first note even lands.

Lights rise, hands follow, voices spill forward like they’ve been waiting all week for this. From the stage, Darren Mulligan, the lead singer of We Are Messengers, saw what most people couldn’t.

A girl near the front is singing, but her mascara is running. Off to the side, a man stands still as stone. His eyes are shut tight, like if he opens them everything might fall apart.

And still… they’re singing.

There was a time Darren would’ve called the feeling in a room like this “happiness.” Everyone’s singing. This is it.

But life has a way of telling the truth after the music fades. Because happiness is loud. It rises fast. It disappears just as quickly.

Joy, though… joy is stubborn.

These aren’t people who showed up because they were happy. They came because they were looking for Jesus.

And in that stubborn reaching toward God, something was happening. You could almost feel it rising in the room. Like a current running underneath every voice. A gladness that doesn’t wait for life to make sense. It wasn’t shallow or forced. Together, the crowd was declaring, “God is still good. He’s still worth it. He’s still here.”

There on the stage, Darren was struck by this thought.

“Those who go looking for Him somehow find gladness. Real joy meets people in their hunger and desperation for Jesus. And the ones who’ve tasted even a little of His rescue can’t help but say it over and over again: ‘To God be the glory.’”

Maybe that’s what these songs are for. Not to help you escape—but to help you find God. To trade the fragile kind of happiness for something stronger. And over time, almost without noticing, your own song will start to rise…one that sounds like this.

To God be the glory.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What is the difference between happiness and joy in your own life?
  • When have you experienced joy even in the middle of difficulty or pain?
  • What does it look like for you to genuinely “search for God” right now?
  • How has worship helped strengthen your faith during hard seasons?
  • What are some ways God has shown His goodness and faithfulness to you recently?

L Y R I C S

When the ground beneath my feet
Is shaking like a leaf
God, You’re still good to me
When my hope is all but gone
And I’m barely hanging on
God, You’re still good to me

When my heart can’t find the beat
When it’s dark and I can’t see
I will put my hope in You

I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory
To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story
To God be thе glory, oh

You love mе at my best
You love me in my mess
God, You’re so good to me
There’s one thing I am sure
Your promises endure
You make a way for me

When my heart can’t find the beat
When it’s dark, and I can’t see
I will put my hope in You

I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory
To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story

To God be the glory
to God be the glory
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

And whatever comes my way
I will always praise Your name
I will put my hope in You
When I run into Your courts
I will fall into Your arms
I will sing a song of praise
I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory (forever and ever)

To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story (forever and ever)

To God be the glory
I’ll trade ashes for beauty
I’ll trade (I’ll trade), joy for my mourning
I’ll trade, to God be the glory

To God be the glory
I’ll trade strength for my weakness
I’ll trade pain for my healing
I’ll trade, let this be my story
To God be the glory

Songwriters: Ran Jackson / Darren Mulligan / Taylor Hill / Andrew Lee Bergthold

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The Dinner Table Discovery

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Psalm 139:16 — You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

The best God-conversations happen at our dinner table. I’m going to let you in on one of them.

It was after dinner, and we were still sitting around the table when my five-year-old eagerly exclaimed, “Guess what, Mama? Guess what, Daddy? I talked to God in my dream today at naptime!”

If I wasn’t all ears before, I was now. I probably had the same look on my face as a child during story time. So, I asked what anyone would ask, “What did God look like? What was He saying to you?”

To my surprise, she turned to me and said so clearly, “He looked familiar.”

“What does familiar mean?” My husband asked.

She answered, “You know—like my friend at school. I know her. She is familiar to me.”

“That’s right,” I added. “You know your friend, so she’s familiar. And the same is true for God.”

I continued, “God knew you before you were even born. Before a single day of your life had passed, He already loved you and had His hand on your life. So maybe it makes sense that He felt familiar to you.”

That night, my momma heart felt like it grew three sizes bigger. I was reminded of something simple but powerful in that moment—children don’t strive to know God the way we often do. They simply trust that He’s near.

To them, God isn’t distant or complicated… He’s familiar.

Maybe that’s the invitation for all of us—to come back to that kind of faith.

Because when we make space for Him, even around something as ordinary as a dinner table, we may just find that God is closer—and more familiar—than we ever realized.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When was the last time God felt familiar and close to you?
  • What makes you sometimes view God as distant or complicated?
  • How does Psalm 139 change the way you think about your identity and worth?
  • What can you learn from the simple faith and trust of a child?
  • How can you create more space in your everyday life to notice God’s presence?
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Love That Didn’t Look Away

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Matthew 25:44-45 — Then they will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?” And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.”

You’ll never regret being kind, even to a stranger.

Kelly is halfway through her coffee at the little diner when she notices them—two women at the counter, moving in opposite directions. One is paying her bill, ready to leave. The other has just sat down, phone pressed to her ear, but she isn’t really talking. She’s crying and barely holding it together.

She hasn’t ordered any food. She’s just…sitting there.

The older woman pauses on her way out. Kelly could almost see the questions cross her face— Should I say something? Should I not?

But she steps in anyway.

“Do you need a hug?” She says simply.

That’s all it takes. The younger woman breaks, and they hold each other right there in the middle of the diner.

“I don’t know what you’ve got going on,” she says, “but it doesn’t matter. You seem like you need a little encouragement.”

Then she calls the waitress over. “Order her whatever she wants. I’ll pay for it.”

And they sit there together quietly for a moment.

Kelly keeps thinking about what she witnessed. She knows that feeling—knowing you could encourage someone and feeling prompted in your heart to do it. That feeling is so easy to ignore. So easy to second-guess and stay seated.

But what if those moments carry more weight than we realize? What if every act of kindness toward someone hurting is also an act of love toward Jesus Himself? What if noticing people matters more than we think it does?

That morning didn’t look like much.

Just a hug. A meal. A woman who didn’t look away.

And maybe that’s what today can look like for you too. Because simple obedience, offered in love, can change everything for someone in need.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When was the last time you felt prompted to encourage or help someone?
  • What usually keeps you from stepping in when you notice someone hurting?
  • How does seeing acts of kindness as service to Jesus change your perspective?
  • Who around you today may simply need to feel seen, loved, or encouraged?
  • What is one simple act of obedience and compassion you can offer someone this week?
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Discipline, Desire, Delight

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Psalm 34:8 — Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!

I grew up in the nineties, and I don’t know if I imagined it, but…we were all told vegetables were gross.

I mean, on cartoons they avoided broccoli at all costs, so I treated it like the plague. In the school cafeteria line, I would pile my tray with anything but the vegetables.

It was probably just marketing, but it’s funny because years later, I became a high school teacher. And I finally tried veggies in the school cafeteria.

And they were… good.

Like, genuinely, they were the best seasoned thing on the menu. I stood standing there thinking, “Wait—have I been wrong about this my whole life?”

It wasn’t just the cafeteria. Every summer, my mom would make tomato pie. And depending on who you are, that either sounds incredible or completely disgusting.

To me it looked gross, so it was gross. No further investigation needed. Because…vegetables…am I right?

But no. I tried it for the first time in college and it changed my life! My momma is a good cook, but it’s one of the best things she makes.

It’s funny—and a little sad—how easily we opt out of some of the best things in life without ever really trying them. We write them off before we experience them.

Honestly, spiritual disciplines can feel like that too. Prayer. Scripture. Solitude. Worship. Sometimes they sound more like eating your vegetables than experiencing joy.

But every time I lean into those things—even a little—I find something I didn’t expect. Peace that steadies me. Clarity that wasn’t there before. A sense that I’m not alone.

Maybe that’s why we’re invited not just to believe God is good, but to experience it. “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” He says. And somewhere along the way, we discover, what first felt like discipline starts to turn into desire.

And desire… turns into delights.

So, I want to encourage you to seek God’s face today through spiritual disciplines. Because it really is so good!

Disciplines develop your spiritual appetite. Yes. You’ll end up hungry for more.

Please don’t miss out on the most incredible parts of life simply because they are branded to you as “boring” or hard.

No. Taste and see that they lead to the sweetest and most un-boring thing of all.

God’s presence.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What spiritual discipline have you avoided because it seemed boring, difficult, or unappealing?
  • When have you personally “tasted and seen” God’s goodness in an unexpected way?
  • What keeps you from slowing down enough to experience God’s presence consistently?
  • How have small, faithful habits helped strengthen your relationship with God?
  • What is one practical way you can seek God’s presence more intentionally this week?
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Loved Louder than Labels

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1 Thessalonians 1:4 — We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.

Oh my goodness—the noise.

It is loud out there. Not the construction around the corner, not the hum of traffic—but the steady, relentless noise of opinions and expectations. Algorithms nudging you, telling you who you should be. Change this. Fix that. Do more. Try harder.

And somewhere in all that, you start to wonder if you’re enough.

People are posting, sharing, and painting a picture of life that feels just out of reach. It doesn’t matter how old you are—that pressure has a way of stealing your joy.

But here’s what is steady, no matter the noise:

You were chosen. Your value is not up for negotiation.

You don’t have to tweak or polish yourself before God can love you. Nope. You’re chosen. Before you could measure up or fall short, you were already known and deeply loved. God called you His own long before the world started demanding you prove your worth.

No opinion, expectation, or comparison can undo that. His love is steadier than the noise.

Maybe today doesn’t get quieter. Maybe the voices don’t suddenly stop. But there is something underneath it all—steady, unshaken, and true. There is a place where your worth isn’t fragile or up for debate.

Linger there a little longer than usual. Let that settle in because friend, that changes everything.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What voices or expectations have been the loudest in your life lately?
  • In what ways have you been tempted to measure your worth by comparison or approval?
  • How does knowing that God chose and loves you change the way you see yourself?
  • What would it look like to rest in God’s love instead of striving to prove yourself?
  • How can you spend more time listening to God’s truth than the world’s noise this week?
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Rest for the Ringmaster

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Matthew 11:30 — For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.

I can just imagine if Martha in the Bible was working from home. She’d be juggling Zoom calls and laundry and snacks for the kids and a burnt pot of spaghetti, while muttering, “Did anyone else see that email? Jesus help me. Why are my co-workers not doing anything?”

But you know, when Martha went to Jesus about Mary, he didn’t roll his eyes at her. He didn’t shame her for caring too much or trying to hold everything together. He just reminded her of this…

You can still care deeply, but you can also take a breath. Sit at my feet and keep your eyes on me, because you don’t have to carry it all.

So, if you’re feeling like you’re the ringmaster juggling a circus, just pause. Have a seat. Leave it at the feet of Jesus. Pray. Ask Him for help. Simply say, “Lord, I am here. I’m taking a pause and being still. Help me, Jesus.”

And maybe the chaos won’t disappear immediately, but something inside you can finally loosen its grip because you were never meant to carry all of this alone. Remember, God is not demanding perfection from you.

He just wants you to notice that He is there in the middle of all of it with you—steady and unhurried, ready to carry what you were never meant to. His way of carrying life is lighter than the exhausting striving we so often choose.

So today, even if it’s just for a minute between the noise and the next thing calling your name, there’s an open place at His feet where you can rest. Go to Him, and let Him be strong for you.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What burdens have you been trying to carry entirely on your own?
  • In what areas of your life do you relate most to Martha right now?
  • What would it look like for you to pause and sit at Jesus’ feet this week?
  • Are you carrying responsibilities with Jesus—or just carrying them alone while hoping He helps?
  • How does remembering that Jesus’ burden is light change the way you approach stress and pressure?
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When Grief Keeps Going

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Philippians 2:16 — Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

The air felt thick the moment I stepped out of the car in Start, Louisiana. I came expecting a small-town 5K, but the town had practically doubled in size.

Cars lined the road. People gathered in clusters. And I kept hearing one name—Hillary—spoken like everyone knew her.

That’s when the story started to come into focus. There is a pastor here—Jeff Thomas. He runs to support St. Jude. You see, his daughter, Hillary, died at five months old. She was on her way there for treatment, but she didn’t make it.

And somehow… Pastor Jeff kept running.

Not away from it—but straight through it. For her and for other families.

I saw Pastor Jeff out there running to remember his daughter and help other families. And all around him were others—locals, visitors, and strangers—moving in that same direction.

By the time it was over, I knew this was sacred.

It was about what happens when someone decides to keep going—and entrusts the ache to God. You see, we all carry things. Some of them heavy. Some of them unresolved. But there is a way to keep moving forward. Not by pretending it doesn’t hurt, and not by letting grief define the story, but by holding firmly to the word of God and continuing to live with hope.

And maybe that looks like one more step today. One step toward giving the hard things to a good God who can help you carry them.

And trusting that even now… none of it is in vain.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • What burden or grief have you been trying to carry on your own lately?
  • What does it look like for you to “keep going” while still being honest about your pain?
  • How can holding firmly to God’s Word help you endure this season with hope?
  • Is there one step of faith or surrender God may be asking you to take today?
  • Where have you seen God bring purpose or impact out of something painful in your life?

 

Want to Run with Pastor Jeff? Click for Details

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Paddleboards and Praise

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Revelation 15:3-4 — Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.

It wasn’t a stage. It wasn’t a writing room.

It was water.

During the chaos and uncertainty of 2020, Chris Tomlin found himself in Montana, sitting alone on a paddleboard in the middle of a still lake at sunset. No noise. No crowd. Just water and silence.

And on that lake, something unsettled him—in a good way.

He became deeply aware of how small he was… and how vast God is.

Not in a crushing way. In a clarifying way.

He had spent years writing songs of deliverance—songs people cling to when they need rescue, grace, and mercy. And those songs matter. Deeply.

But out there on the water, something else was rising.

A different kind of worship song. It was not one that sounded like “God, come through for me,” but “God, you are holy.”

The kind that echoes what’s already been sung long before any of us arrived:

There in that awe-inspiring setting, Chris was reminded of the book of Revelation, where believers from every nation worship before God’s throne crying out, “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God Almighty… for you alone are holy.” He also thought about the angels surrounding God’s throne declaring, “Holy, holy, holy.”

That’s where Holy Forever was born—out of stillness, not striving.

It holds both sides of worship we often separate: the God who rescues us, and the God who stands far above us. Because we need both the God who meets us in our mess, and the same God who reminds us He was never overwhelmed by it at all.

And maybe that’s what your soul needs today—not just rescue, but reverence.

 

A MOMENT TO REFLECT

  • When was the last time you truly stopped and felt awe at God’s greatness?
  • Do your prayers lean more toward asking God for help or worshiping Him for who He is?
  • How does remembering God’s holiness change your perspective on your problems?
  • What helps you slow down enough to notice God’s presence?
  • Why is it important to remember both God’s nearness and His majesty?

Lyrics:

A thousand generations falling down in worship
To sing the song of ages to the Lamb
And all who’ve gone before us and all who will believe
Will sing the song of ages to the Lamb

Your name is the highest
Your name is the greatest
Your name stands above them all
All thrones and dominions
All powers and positions
Your name stands above them all

And the angels cry, Holy
All creation cries, Holy
You are lifted high, Holy
Holy forever

If you’ve been forgiven and if you’ve been redeemed
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
If you walk in freedom and if you bear His name
Sing the song forever to the Lamb
We’ll sing the song forever and amen

Hear your people sing, Holy
To the King of Kings, Holy
You will always be, Holy
Holy forever

You will always be, Holy
Holy forever

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